


Protected

by RumblingJazz (neoculture_dorkology)



Series: My Family, My Home [4]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Carrier Instincts, Cave-In, Family, Fluff, M/M, Optimus has his hat in his hand at the end, Sad Optimus, i can't tag, just read it?, no really, of sorts, slight angst, talks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 05:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14206191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neoculture_dorkology/pseuds/RumblingJazz
Summary: Jazz was having a bad week.





	Protected

**Author's Note:**

> This is a mess x_x I'm sorry in advance ;_;

As far as battles went, there had been worse. Ironhide and the Twins had taken care of the Seekers, which meant Megatron's air support was not so much lacking as it was nonexistent. The Aerialbots were doing a good job of scattering the remaining Deceipticons, and Optimus and Megatron were having their typical throw-down at the battlefield's center. It seemed that Optimus had the upper hand, so Ironhide could focus his attention elsewhere. 

He scanned the battlefield, locating Ratchet first. The medic was safe, Grimlock looming behind him. The Dinobot would die before he allowed someone to get to one of his creators, and the other Dinobots would join him. Ironhide had nothing to worry about there. 

Jazz was running rings around three of the Stunticons, keeping the gestalt from linking up by keeping them distracted. Swoop and Sludge were playing with Motormaster like he was a chew toy -that was the best way to describe it-, which was definitely helping. Ironhide snorted and moved on to finding the remainder of Jazz's little family. 

Soundwave and Blaster were in a painful looking tangle of arms, legs, and tentacles, squirming and snarling. Ironhide winced and shifted his focus again. Rumble was arguing with Skywarp, who was lying in a heap - the sight was quite amusing.

Ravage and Lazerbeak were nowhere to be seen, but Ratbat was circling over the battlefield, no doubt recording everything. Frenzy was standing beneath an outcropping, exchanging blaster fire with Cliffjumper. Ironhide turned away and opened fire on Long Haul and Mixmaster.

The next thing he knew, a black and white blur had passed him, and someone was yelling at Jazz. Ironhide whirled in time to see the outcropping collapsing, rocks burying Frenzy - and, presumably, the bitlet's carrier. He cursed, and fired a short glare at Smokescreen and Cliffjumper. If Jazz was badly damaged, one of them would be to blame. 

_Always knew that stubborn aft was gonna get in trouble over those younglings. And all because Soundwave 'can't' leave the Deceipticons. Fraggit all._

* * *

Jazz was having a bad week. 

First a building collapsed on top of him when he was trying to have some alone time with Soundwave, then he had to deal with Ratchet's nagging about interfacing, now an outcropping came down and buried him in rubble. All in the span of a few earth days. 

But it could have been worse. He could have been too slow or moved too late, could have felt the creator and creation bond snap--

Frenzy shifted against him, burying closer into his carrier and effectively ending that train of thought. Jazz stared down at the mechling beneath him, wishing he could scoop him into his arms and promise him that everything was going to be alright; but Jazz was pinned, the rocks and rubble entombing them until someone dug them out. The most he could do was watch Frenzy in worry, praying that the youngling would be fine and that when they got out of their current mess, there wouldn't be a fusion cannon or a row of blasters aimed at his son. 

"We'll be fine, Carrier," Frenzy croaked. He was safe, curled underneath Jazz's frame. The saboteur could find no visible sign of damage, but he was no medic. The sooner he got Frenzy into the hands of someone with medical expertise, or even just back to Soundwave, the better. 

Jazz could hear shouting, now; voices were nearing the pile of rubble they were buried in. Ironhide's angry tones were the first the saboteur identified, followed by plaintive squalling from Lazerbeak. All-too confused, the saboteur frowned. His spark clenched to hear the crying of one of his creations, but part of his processor was distracted with wondering why Lazerbeak was still there and if the battle was still raging. 

"Jazz? Are ya intact in there?" 

"Ah'm in one piece, Ironhide," Jazz responded, shifting one hand over. The rocks shifted too, and for a moment, there were fingers of ice wrapped around his spark as he worried that the situation would worsen. 

"Don't squirm, for crying out loud," Ratchet snapped. "We'll have you out of there in no time if you _hold still_." 

"Sorry, Ratch." Jazz settled himself, gazing down at Frenzy and lowering his voice. "We're gonna be outta here soon, bitlet." 

He didn't expect Frenzy's reaction to be hooking his fingers in Jazz's armor and clinging to his carrier as best he could when in that position. "I don't wanna be away from you anymore, Carrier," he complained, burying his face against his carrier. 

"Ah don't wanna be away from you either, sweetlin', but Ah don' have much o' a choice." Jazz shushed him, praying that Frenzy didn't cry too. It was bad enough hearing Lazerbeak, who was still squalling. It sounded like she was right outside with the other Autobots...

The possibility that Lazerbeak had been taken prisoner flared bright and painful in his processor. Jazz bit hard into his lower lip, almost hard enough to draw energon. 

Rocks were pulled away from Jazz's right side, light flooding over the Autobot and his creation, who still clung to him. The saboteur shifted his gaze to discover that it was Ironhide, Optimus, Ratchet, and Grimlock who were digging him out. A knot tied itself in his intake. Optimus' expression was unreadable, but that didn't mean he wasn't reacting negatively to the situation.

By the time he and Frenzy were freed from their rocky trap, Jazz's processor had come up with many different things the Autobot leader may do or say. The Matrix-bearer was silent, however, standing to the side as Ratchet ran a scan over Frenzy. 

The Deceipticons were gone; Megatron must have called a retreat. Jazz scanned the ranks of Autobots, and found Lazerbeak, cradled in Mirage's hands. The noble was holding her carefully, and scaring away anyone who moved too close with a sharp glare. It was all very confusing. Had Jazz been knocked unconscious by the rocks?

"It would seem that we have a lot to talk about," Optimus murmured, drawing the startled saboteur's attention back to him. When, exactly, had Optimus came up beside him? "We will speak when we return to the Ark." 

"Yes, sir." 

It wasn't a conversation Jazz looked forward to.

* * *

"I thought they were gonna stick us in the brig," commented Frenzy. He was perched on the edge of Jazz's berth, swinging his legs back and forth.

Jazz glanced at him from where he was cradling Lazerbeak and waiting for their three cubes of energon to heat. "Ah wouldn't have allowed that, bitlet. Not without your sire here." Lazerbeak squawked, and rested her head on Jazz's shoulder. The saboteur gently stroked her side and retrieved their energon. "As it is, Ah expect Prime an' th' others will be here any moment now, so you two be on ya best behavior." 

Frenzy grinned. "We're _always_ on our best behavior, Ri." 

"That's what Ah'm worried about," Jazz sighed. He handed Frenzy his cube, and rested Lazerbeak's on the small berthside table. The femme flew to it as Jazz sat beside Frenzy, drinking his own heated energon. 

:: _Th' bitlets are with me, Soundwave._ ::

:: _Acknowledged. Jazz: Injured?_ :: 

Jazz's lips curved in a tiny smile. :: _Ah'm not, an' neither are they. Are you an' th' other bitlets alright?_ ::

:: _Soundwave: Functional. Creations: Unharmed._ :: 

:: _Good. Ah'm glad ta hear that. Ah'll get these two back t' ya as soon as possible. If possible._ :: 

:: _Soundwave: Acknowledges. Attention required elsewhere._ :: 

:: _Mmkay, don't work yourself too hard. Love ya, 'Wave._ :: 

Jazz realized someone was knocking on the door as he lowered his half-emptied cube.  _Slag._ "Come in!" he called, Frenzy and Lazerbeak pressing to him instinctively. "It's not locked." 

The door slid open. Optimus and Prowl entered, followed by Ratchet, Ironhide, and a nervous-looking Wheeljack. Jazz was certain he was far more nervous that the science offer, though, his arms wrapped protectively around the two small Deceipticons curled in his lap. 

Once the door had shut behind them, Optimus disengaged his battlemask. He looked uncomfortable, and Jazz pulled his younglings a little closer. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Optimus asked softly. 

"Tell ya what, bossbo-Prime?" Jazz demanded. Carrier protocols made him aggressive, something in him feeling as though Optimus was a threat.

The matrix-bearer didn't hide his flinch. "That you were... bonded. A creator. That you had loved ones among the Deceipticons." 

Jazz stroked Frenzy's helm. "What good would it 'ave done, Prime? Ah'm sure Prowler will tell ya that it woulda done more harm than good." 

"It is only logical to assume that Soundwave has gathered things from Jazz and used them against the Autobots," the second-in-command stated. "As Jazz's... friend, however, I would like to believe otherwise. Even mecha like Soundwave can operate beyond logic's constraints." 

"Has he ever taken and used information from your processor, Jazz?" Optimus inquired. 

"Only when 'e's had to ta protect me an' our bitlets." Jazz's other hand was stroking Lazerbeak's wing, luring her into recharge. "Other than that, 'Wave's never done it. Nothin' he picked up on our... family time 'as ever reached Old Buckethead." 

"Then I don't see how things between us would be different. Except that I have fired upon your creations, and ordered others to. Jazz-" 

"Ya didn't know, Prime. Ah made sure only two 'bots knew 'bout it," Jazz interrupted. "But Ah get th' feelin' Mirage knows."

"Mirage guessed," Ratchet put in. "He guessed, pieced things together and confronted Ironhide and I. He's been having your back for a while, Jazz. We wanted to tell you, but... we were afraid there might have been tension between the two of you."

:: _I like Blue Pharaoh,_ :: Lazerbeak sleepily chirped over comms. :: _He's nice._ :: 

"Ah've got no hard feelin's toward Mirage," Jazz murmured. "Ah just... Ah'm sorry, Prime. We were scared." 

_We still are._


End file.
